Goal post gantry DIY

[BurnitBlue]

While sailing around Greece this summer I noticed that some boats were hanging their inflatables from the gantry used as davits. They also supported solar panels etc. I thought this was a great idea so asked around for a quote. The best quote was 1500 euro's.

I was told that some folk wintering in the Levkas Marina built their own gantry from locally supplied stainless tubing.

My query is what size tubing to use and where in Levkas they could have bought it. I would imagine that the angle of the gantry would still need to be vertical(ish) to support the 35 kg of a dinghy without bending. The dinghy also seemed to be hoisted sideways/vertical if you know what I mean. Ie not horizontal. Any ideas please?

 

[Happydaze]

I made my gantry out of 25mm stainless tubing with 1.2mm wall thickness so if I needed to join it I could use 22mm tube that fits snug inside. I used 1 length of tube with 2 bends made using a bending machine to form the main frame then braced the corners with more tube from about 1 metre down to 1 metre in from each bend. This is strong enough to pull myself up on so should take a dinghy as you describe but I have not done so, I just have 2 solar panels. The fore and aft movement is stopped by another piece of tube on each side fixed below the bend and going down to the deck.

I built mine in Italy but would think 1 of the boat bit shops in town would stock the fittings and the tube may be obtained and bent at the steel fabricators located on the road between the marina and Lidls.

 

[AndrewB]

I built mine in Italy but would think 1 of the boat bit shops in town would stock the fittings and the tube may be obtained and bent at the steel fabricators located on the road between the marina and Lidls.

Are you thinking of the metal shop next to Lidl near to Gouvia Marina, Corfu? I've had them machine boat stuff, it's a good service. They are definitely able to both sell and bend stainless tubing.

 

[syfuga]

Most people build gantries as if they were going to swing the boat from them.

Ours is based on 2 x 25mm tubes, mounted using the standard 25mm fittings used for e.g. hoods and biminis, but welded on to the gantry. One tube rises from the base of the pushpit, the other from the rail around the top, and the tubes come together to form a triangle. Additional horizontal cross pieces provide more triangular rigidity. This is sufficient to support solar panels and aerials, and as a hoisting point for the outboard.

If you are going to use it as the basis for a davit for the dinghy, however, you would need to go heavier, and as always, consider carefully the structure on which you are going to mount it (deck, transom).

 

[Happydaze]

Are you thinking of the metal shop next to Lidl near to Gouvia Marina, Corfu? I've had them machine boat stuff, it's a good service. They are definitely able to both sell and bend stainless tubing.

I was thinking of Lefkas town, down the road from the marina to the bus station, turn right past AB and Carrefour to the next junction, then turn left and the metal man is about 100 m on the right

 

[Steve C Cronin]

I was thinking of Lefkas town, down the road from the marina to the bus station, turn right past AB and Carrefour to the next junction, then turn left and the metal man is about 100 m on the right

If that were Corfu and particularly
Kondokali it would be Albert, the Albanian. I'm sure that is who Andrew is talking about. A really good electrical and mechanical technician.

 

[BurnitBlue]

Thanks for the replies. 25mm with a 22mm insert is brilliant. With that system I reckon I could improve the "design" as I used it.

I needed it for solar panels primarily. However I saw at least four or five boats with the dinghy hanging from the gantry. They were not hoisted all the way to the top but just enough to clear the water while resting snug flat against the transom. Such a snug system.

 

[temptress]

I build my own goalposts using 25mm 316 stainless. I got everything I needed from SEASCREW in the UK (total cost was just under GBP500). I did a lot of planning, measuring, template making and still had to modify the final result a few times but they have survived a couple of gales at sea and a few more at anchor. I was quotes over GBP3K to have something made in the UK last year.

Although I have not been sailing in Greece for some years it should not be too difficult to get the woirk done there althugh language may be an issue - just take your time and remember nothing is ever very important in Greece but th8ngs do get done eventually.

 

[GrahamM376]

Built this one a few years ago, used 40mm x 1.5 316. Would have preferred something a bit smaller diameter but size was dictated by the formers the bender had - paid someone to bend the tubes. Takes the weight of the panels, Aerogen, 55kg dinghy and often the outboard as well - but not when on passage. Mounted on to toe rail and transom.

View attachment 37237

 

[jordanbasset]

Thanks for the replies. 25mm with a 22mm insert is brilliant. With that system I reckon I could improve the "design" as I used it.

I needed it for solar panels primarily. However I saw at least four or five boats with the dinghy hanging from the gantry. They were not hoisted all the way to the top but just enough to clear the water while resting snug flat against the transom. Such a snug system.

Re the dinghy we had 2 semi circular steel hoops fixed to the transom, dinghy just rested on them taking all the weight and a rope around it for security. Worked well coming from the UK to the med but we found in the med with mostly stern to berthing it was not practicable.

 

[BurnitBlue]

Re the dinghy we had 2 semi circular steel hoops fixed to the transom, dinghy just rested on them taking all the weight and a rope around it for security. Worked well coming from the UK to the med but we found in the med with mostly stern to berthing it was not practicable.

Yes, Hoops on the transom are also an excellent idea. Must add that idea to the search for a solution to store the dinghy. The dinghy can always be dropped before going stern to. I do not like the foredeck stowage because my boat has a baby stay. Even a small inflatable fouls the anchor system. Deflating the thing for every sail is a hassle (maybe electric bellows?). Towing is OK but not in rough weather, try getting it aboard when bad weather strikes. A pair of proper davits will increase the size of the boat for marina charges.

I also saw another Moody outside Preveza using the folding boarding ladder held at 90 degrees. I thought WOW and tried it with my own boarding ladder but after an hour I gave up trying to get the dinghy high enough to unfold the boarding ladder. Tried it with the boarding ladder already lashed at 90 degrees but failed because the lashing prevented the dinghy from resting on the ladder. No idea how the Moody skipper managed it because he upped anchor and left.

It would be good to change the title of this thread to "Gantry and Dinghy stowage" to attract any other solutions.